Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Review: A Smartphone That Redefines Bezel-Less Displays

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 has been launched in China and is expected to hit global markets very soon. But what really has attracted all this attention towards the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, other than the bezel-less display, is the fact that it is launched with four variants ranging from CNY 3,299 (roughly Rs. 32,300) to CNY 4,699 (roughly Rs. 46,000). This means that the smartphone will be competing against the likes of OnePlus 5, Honor 8 Pro and even the LG G6 which recently received a price cut.

Having said that, while its predecessor, the Mi Mix entered the market with stand alone features, when it comes to Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, whose USP is the bezel-less display, there seems a little less at offer to completely blow away the users. However, since Mi6 is taking way too long for a global launch, the SD 835 powered Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 feels like the next best thing to happen for Xiaomi fans, sans a dual-camera setup.

Coming back to the 5.99-inch bezel-less display, established players like Samsung and LG have already taken the first movers’ advantage with Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (Review), LG V30 and even the LG Q6 which is one of the rare bezel-less smartphones in the budget segment. Moreover, Apple’s next iPhone is also expected to take the game even a notch higher.

But being one of the hotly anticipated launches of the year and having the best hardware package, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 seems to be a winner, at least on the specs sheet. However, the competition is tougher than ever and will Mi Mix 2 be able to leave its mark like the Mi Mix? Let’s see.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Specifications

• 5.99-inch (2160 × 1080) Full HD+ 18:9 display with 1500:1 contrast ratio and DCI-P3 color gamut, offering 403 ppi.
• 64-bit Octa-Core Snapdragon 835 10nm SoC clocked at 2.45GHz coupled with Adreno 540 GPU
• 6GB LPDDR4x RAM with 64GB, 128GB and 256GB (UFS 2.1) storageoftions, and 8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128GB storage variant (Special Edition).
• Android 7.1 (Nougat) with MIUI 9 on top.
• 12MP rear camera with Sony IMX386 sensor with f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, 1.25μm pixel size, dual-tone LED flash, 4K video recording, and 4-axis OIS.
• 5MP front-facing camera with fixed focus, facial recognition, and 1080p video recording.
• Dual SIM (nano + nano) and Fingerprint sensor at the rear.
• Facial recognition and 50mW high power speaker with a sound guided tube for enhanced audio experience.
• 3400mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Dimensions: 151.8x 75.5 ×7.7 mm; Weight: 185g
• Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 (Special Edition) Dimensions: 150.5x 74.6 ×7.7 mm; Weight: 187g
• 4G VoLTE, Support for 6 modes and 43 bands, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 802.11ac dual-band (2×2 MU-MIMO), GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, NFC and USB Type-C support.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Price And Availability

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is priced at CNY 3,299 (Rs. 32,300 approx) for its 6GB/ 64GB variant, CNY 3,599 (Rs. 35,300 approx) for the 6GB/128GB variant, and CNY 3,999 (Rs. 39,200 approx) for the 6GB/ 256GB variant. There’s also a Special Edition which comes with a full ceramic body and a price tag of CNY 4,699 (Rs. 46,000 approx). This variant comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

While the first flash sale of Mi MIX 2  is scheduled on Friday, September 15 in China, the Special Edition variant will go on sale in November.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Review

What we like about Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

• The 7-Series aluminum body with four-sided curved ceramic edges makes this smartphone easy to handle and operate, despite its size.

• Ultrasonic proximity sensor allows Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 to fade into the background while focusing entirely on the screen.

• The bezel-less display, as expected, offers great viewing angles and visibility under direct sunlight is above par.

• ‘Hidden sound-guided speaker’ comes with the ‘cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic technology’ which resonates the sound via the metal frame while delivering it through the screen itself.

• The 12MP rear camera, while it is can’t be compared to the dual-cameras in this segment, is one of the best shooters that Xiaomi has ever come up with. While camera trim is made of 18-karat gold, which adds to its appeal, when it comes to performance, pictures appear to be crisp, detailed and rightly saturated, both under outdoor and low lighting conditions.

• The 5MP front camera, which comes with facial recognition, performs great and the shutter speed is really quick.

• SD 835 coupled with Adreno 540 GPU and ample of RAM makes Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 the ‘Bro’ of gaming enthusiasts. Moreover, there will rarely be any lags while multitasking and frame drops are perfectly coped up with.

What we didn’t like about Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

• No expandable storage option.
• No headphone jack or wireless charging.
• There is no IP68 water and dust resistance rating
• A dual camera setup could have made the deal even better.
• The front camera struggles under low lighting conditions.
• While the MIUI 9 is a new UI, Android purist might find it a little cluttered.

Verdict

Despite having some shortcomings, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 packs a host of wow factors, and it’s the only smartphone to come closest to reaching the “full screen” goal of this year. While it doesn’t have a great front camera, the rear unit covers it with perfection. The giant screen is surprisingly crammed into a manageably-sized phone and when it comes to looks, Mi Mix 2 deserves all the appreciation.

Moreover, for those looking for the perfect blend of multimedia consumption and performance-oriented hardware, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 offers everything to more than satisfy their needs.

As far as the pricing is concerned, at a starting price of CNY 3,299 (Rs. 32,300 approx), Mi Mix 2 directly enters into a competition with OnePlus 5 which comes with a dual-camera setup. Having said that, at this price point, dual-cameras would have changed the whole game for Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 but the Chinese manufacturer has come up with the Mi Note 3 (follow this space for Mi Note 3 review) which features a dual-camera setup.

However, instead of the cameras, users will get a bezel-less display for better multimedia consumption, which in itself is a USP for Xiaomi Mi Mix 2.